Keep your creativity flowing with Fishamble's #TinyPlayChallengeIn these challenging times, Fishamble - along with many of our colleagues in the wider Irish artistic community - is working hard to keep imaginations lively, communities engaged - and most of all offer people the opportunity of creative expression. We asked our audiences: Would you welcome the challenge of exploring your thoughts and feelings through drama? Do you have a dramatic story that you feel the urge to work out for yourself, and maybe share with your fellow citizens?​Below is one of the chosen plays from our weekly submissions.

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CHARACTERS:CIARANJOYCESADIE

CIARAN sits behind a large desk - JOYCE sits down.

JOYCE: Now.

CIARAN: Brilliant.

JOYCE: So?

CIARAN: So you know why you’re here?

JOYCE: I do.

CIARAN: Good. Because of the incident.

JOYCE: The incident, yes.

CIARAN: Joyce, what happened was a huge/

JOYCE: Yeah.

CIARAN: /embarrassment for the company.

JOYCE: Course.

CIARAN: You understand?

JOYCE: I do.

CIARAN: Good. Because obviously I have to, y’know - (Searching for the right word)

(TOGETHER) JOYCE: Reimburse.

(TOGETHER) CIARAN Reprimand.

Brief pause

CIARAN: What?

JOYCE: What?

CIARAN: Did you say reimburse?

JOYCE: I did.

CIARAN: I said reprimand.

JOYCE: Oh. Why?

CIARAN: Because of what happened?

JOYCE: What happened?

CIARAN: Well. If I can speak plainly?

JOYCE: Please.

CIARAN: You were masturbating in a Zoom meeting.

JOYCE: Oh that.

CIARAN: Yes that.

JOYCE: I can explain that.

CIARAN: Can you?

JOYCE: Yeah.

Pause

CIARAN: Go on.

JOYCE: I was sleeping.

CIARAN: You were nude.

JOYCE: I sleep nude.

CIARAN: Several people saw you. Someone recorded you. It’s on the internet Joyce.

JOYCE: Right. Is it?

CIARAN: The CFO’s seen it.

JOYCE: Yikes.

CIARAN: Yikes indeed. So you see why I have to- What was the incident that you were-

JOYCE: Oh, the pay cut.

CIARAN: The 10% pay cut? You wanted/

JOYCE: I want to be reimbursed. I work very hard, Ciaran. I want that 10% back.

Pause

CIARAN: You can’t have it, Joyce.

JOYCE: Right. Because of the masturbating?

CIARAN: No that’s a separate-

JOYCE: I didn’t come if that’s the issue.

SADIE: God.

CIARAN: That’s not the-

JOYCE: Because I make a real show of it when I come.

CIARAN: That’s really not the (pause) issue.

SADIE: Joyce that’s not the issue for us.

JOYCE: Well Sadie the issue for me, if I can speak plainly?

CIARAN: Please.

JOYCE: The issue for me is that you cut 10% of my pay.

CIARAN: That was company-wide.

SADIE: Everyone took a pay cut Joyce.

JOYCE: But my hours weren’t cut by 10%.

CIARAN: No.

JOYCE: And they should have been.

CIARAN: Well-

JOYCE: So I’ve made the decision to take 10% of my day off.

CIARAN: You can’t do that.

JOYCE: Why?

Silence

CIARAN: Because.

JOYCE: That particular Zoom meeting fell during that time.

CIARAN: Right.

JOYCE: So I think that solves it. You can keep your 10% and I’ll keep mine.

CIARAN: Em. Sadie?

SADIE: Joyce?

JOYCE: Ok great, thanks guys.

JOYCE hangs up

End

​Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is an award-winning Irish playwright. She was the chosen playwright for Rough Magic’s SEEDS programme 2018-2020 & has just completed a commission with the Abbey Theatre for Dear Ireland 2020. Her most recent play, SAUCE, was chosen for artist support initiative DUETS & presented in Dublin Fringe Festival 2019 (nominated for the Little Gem Award, Judge’s Choice Award & Spirit of the Fringe Award). SAUCE will be published by Nick Hern Books 2020 & is being adapted as a television series. Ciara is a resident artist in the MAC Theatre Belfast 2020 & is represented by Curtis Brown. Find Ciara on Twitter @ciaraesmyth and Instagram @ciaraesmyth.